No entry into Libya

[priffe]

So we had everything well organized, visas ready, passports translated to arabic. We arrived in Ras Jedir Saturday, April 25. Our guide was waiting on the other side. We were lead past the thousand or so Tunisian smugglers in Isuzus and old 505s and signed out of Tunisia. We met the guide and he went to have the plates made. While waiting, there was the Libyan immigration officer approaching us and saying there was a problem with pur passports and the guide needed to come right away. I sent an sms to the guide but it was an hour vefore he returned. Then after talkng with the officer in charge ha said it was "an unexpected major problem". Turns out Moammar had changed the rules the same day, so only parties with five or more could enter. Before, the rule had been five people on the same visa within 30 days.
Or this is what the guide told us.
We were stuck and couldn't get in. Us two, and also the eminent Genji from this forum, travelling alone.
Our guide (from Sherwes travel) said he would go back to Tripoli and take care of it for the next day. I wish I hadn't belived him, as he never got back with us. Genji's guide arranged so he could cross the border the next day at 6 p.m (with two Italians, so it was a party of three - go figure).

I wish we hadn't been so Swedish/British about it. I should have been in attack mode from the very moment the immigration officer approached me. We should have flat out refused to return to Tunisia. We should have blocked the darn boarder lanes with our cruisers screaming BLOODY SCANDAL.
But we didn't and now all we got out of it was a cheeseburger on the Libyan side.
So stay alert and be prepared if you go to Libya.
At least we didn't loose any money.
As always in Africa, I wonder what was really at play. Perhaps our guide was in bad standing? Or someone hadn't been paid enough? Impossible to know. But I swore to never again let us fall prey to "circumstances" without fighting like mad.